Today, November 21st, the monument to Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro was illuminated with the colours of the world event “The Economy of Francesco” (EoF), olive green, light brown and yellow.
It is an online meeting of young people from all around the world, between 19th and 21stof November, in reference to Saint Francis, the Poor Little Man of Assisi, who, in the 13th century, gave up his fortune to embrace equality and nature. The event in Assisi held in live streaming on the portal francescoeconomy.org, and Pope Francis participated virtually.
The initiative was developed from the invitation that the Holy Father sent on May 1st, 2019, on the occasion of the feast of St. Joseph the Worker, to young economists, students and businessmen from the whole world. In the invitation letter, Pope Francis explains that Assisi is the appropriate place to inspire a new economy, because it was there that Francis divested himself of everything related to the world to choose God as the compass of his life, becoming poor with the poor and brother of all. The decision to embrace poverty also gave rise to an economic vision that remains current.
Pope Francis, then, invites young people to make a pact, in the spirit of St. Francis, in order to make the economy fairer, more fraternal, sustainable and with a new role for those who today is excluded, with the construction of new paths seeking the solution for the structural problems of today’s world economy. For this, the Pope states that it is necessary to question the economic “laws” that produce inequality and exclusion, understand that they are the result of political decisions and that, therefore, can be questioned and transformed.
The event was counted with the participation of some experts invited by Francisco to advise the meeting. Altogether, there are 2,000 participants from 120 registered countries, divided into 12 thematic villages and more than 60 hubs for creating and debating innovative ideas. The Christ the Redeemer Sanctuary was presented in the worldwide event with the participation of the Innovation Manager, Henrique Sengès, member of the “Vocation & Profit”, “Work & Care” and “Energy & Poverty” villages. “The Economy of Francesco is, more than a convocation from the Holy Father, a call to self-innovation, to reinvention. All of us, human beings, as sons and daughters of God, are called to take care of creation, as the Pope says in his Encyclical Laudato Si', a fundamental document within the EoF. We cannot neglect such a responsibility to transform our way of thinking, acting, producing and consuming in a more inclusive and egalitarian way, giving concrete examples for the current and future generations. This opportunity, shared among us, young people, can mean the realization of what was once dreamed by the Saint of Assisi”, highlights Henrique Sengès.
“The Christ the Redeemer Sanctuary of Corcovado follows the paradigm of Pope Francis, regulating its governance in accordance with justice and sustainable development”, says the Rector of the Christ the Redeemer Sanctuary, Father Omar Raposo.
About the event “The Economy of Francesco”
The event “The Economy of Francesco” was about to be held from 26th to 28th March 2020, with presential activities in Assisi, but, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, it was postponed to November 19th to 21st, 2020, with live broadcasting over the internet. The next face-to-face meeting will be held in the city of the Saint of Assisi and is scheduled for fall 2021, when health conditions should allow everyone to participate.
The objective of the event, proposed by the Supreme Pontiff, is the development of an economy socially fair, economically viable, environmentally sustainable and ethically responsible. Over the months, the organization of the event made it possible, in an online version, that all registered young people participated in the meeting under the same conditions, shared experiences, works and proposals and matured reflections.
Data on the event “The Economy of Francesco”
• Online preparatory conferences, from May to October 2020, broadcasted on Facebook and YouTube:
- 27 online preparatory conferences;
- More than 40 countries connected simultaneously;
- More than 60 hubs;
- 45,569 views;
- 23,334 connected users;
- 7,713 hours of viewing.
• “The Economy of Francesco” event, from 19th to 21st November:
- 2,000 young people under the age of 35 from all around the world;- 120 connected nations;
- 56% men and 44% women;
- 5 young people, connected from Mexico, Lebanon, Brazil, Uganda, Italy, will give
their testimonies;
- 4 hours per day of live broadcast of the event and a 24-hour marathon on 20th
November, thanks to the contributions of connected young people from 20 different countries;
- The main site will be the Basilica of San Francesco d'Assisi connected with 5 other significant places in the Saint’s life: Rivotorto Sanctuary, Church of San Damiano, Basilica of Santa Chiara, Sanctuary of Espoliation and Palazzo Monte Frumentario.
